The Last angel: Origins
by happycamper123
Summary: Sam is more angelic than he ever knew. As he delves deeper into his past he soon discovers he is more unique than anyone could ever imagine
1. Dreams of reality

The Last Angel: Origins

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Chapter 1

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Dreams of reality

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A/N: Oh wow! Im so proud of this chapter! Yes this is the sequel to "The Last Angel" There's yet more mystery, ooh! Please hurry to tell me what you think. I can't wait!

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Disclaimer: Don't own it. New stuff, I own, K?

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"76B?"

"Wake Up, experiment, initiate"

And with a jolt- as if he had been switched on somehow- Sam awoke to find himself held down with solid steel restraints in a large, throne-like metal chair. In front of him was a small, pale, blonde haired woman with glasses who was watching Sam, studying him. Sam didn't notice this as he was too horrified to see that she was wearing a white lab coat, she was a white- coat. How could he have got here? It wasn't fair and as she turned to him with a look of intent on her blank green eyes he cried with fear. She had something metal in her hand, it had four prongs, each with a sharp pincer edge and as it caught the light it glinted and Sam cried once again in horror as she stepped towards him.

"No, please, no!"

A ghostly voice called to him.

"Sam?"

Sam felt a sharp pain in his side and suddenly he was back by the abandoned Factory. It was just a dream, a very real dream. He sat up, the flock had gathered around him, concerned looks in all their eyes. All except Fang, who was still getting up.

"Where are the erasers? You were the last to fall… I think" Said Max

"Yeh I saw you on the roof, with Lea. What happened?" Asked The Gasman

"Uh…" Sam hesitated, he himself wasn't sure, he remembered power. Maybe light. Was it him that this came from? Sam couldn't be sure.

"Where are the erasers Sam." Max demanded, a suspicious tone in her voice.

"Um… well, I dunno" Replied Sam, he saw his own hands shaking as he said this and he heard the fear in his voice. Should he tell them? What if they were scared of him?

Luckily for Sam, he didn't have to answer. Those erasers must have sent for back –up because there was a huge crash as erasers, thousands of them, came running towards the group.

"Fly!" Max yelled.

Almost as if disappearing completely, the flock shot up into the air. Max was holding Tania and giving Sam a look filled with disgust. Sam had forgotten Tania. Oops.

Without anyone saying a word the flock flew off in the same direction. They flew and flew for miles until no-one could fly anymore. Max decided they should stop and Fang found them a place on the outskirts of a small town. Near a café where they could go to find food if they had to.

"How did those erasers know we were there?" asked Iggy and Sam felt his sightless eyes somehow managing to stare intently into his own. Apparently he was a suspect.

"Maybe they followed us"

"Or they might have a base there"

"Yeh but that's a bit too convenient don't you think?"

The conversation continued into the night and after a fire was lit, food eaten and no answers found. The flock went to sleep with their heads still full of questions. Sam slept far away from the others with Tania near him as always.

The white-coat advanced toward him and put the instrument down on the small, steel table next to him. She pulled up a chair and sat down. Sam was relieved but still confused, was she toying with him?

"Now 76B, I need a few answers" Said the woman.

"There's a coincidence" replied Sam.

She picked up a knife. She had plans to make Sam talk. One way or another.

With a sharp pain in his side, Sam was rudely awoken. His wing was numb from lying on it all night yet again, but Sam noticed something different about his wings. He couldn't quite place it. They felt lighter somehow. Then suddenly Sam heard a scream behind him. He was beginning to feel light-headed.

"Sam! Whats happened!" cried Nudge. Sam turned, desperately trying to see the back of his wing. All he could see, was blood. Everywhere. It was literally pouring out of his wing. As he grew weaker he sank to his knees as everyone gathered around him. Sam could hear their voices, as if from afar. They were faint.

"Where are the supplies." Fang demanded, efficient as usual.

"Quick Nudge, get all the back packs, everything out of them" Ordered Max.

"Don't worry Sam, lie down"

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_Oooh! Please R& R!_


	2. New power

Chapter 2

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New power

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A/N: hi sam-fans! This chapter is quite short but I couldn't think how to fill it out. The next one will be longer but for now, feel free to R & R! thanx.

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Disclaimer: Still don't own it

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Sam awoke to find himself in strangely familiar surroundings. He was held down in solid steel restraints in a huge metal chair. A small, blonde woman sat in front of him.

_You've got to be kidding! _Thought Sam to himself.

"How did I get here?" he said weakly, his wing had been bandaged but he was still weak from blood loss.

"Erasers attacked your group, they captured you alive but I don't know what happened to those other ones" She replied coolly. This woman was intent and cold, just like any other white coat. But Sam sensed something different, a slight weakness to her as if she didn't quite like was she was doing. There was some pity in her voice, a certain apprehension in the way she moved toward him.

"Now 76B I want…" She started

"Some answers?" Sam interrupted and the woman was somewhat startled by this, cut off in the middle of her speech she was thrown a little, but carried on.

"I won't ask how you knew that, but yes you are right, I need to know some things"

"hmm?" Sam felt confident now, he had seen this before… somehow.

"Do you know how you were made? Why you exist?" She asked, making notes although Sam couldn't think of what she would be writing.

"No, you do though, tell me" Sam replied, desperately trying to think of a way out of this. He found himself staring intently into her eyes, suddenly he could see a younger woman getting a phone call. She had a nice house, nice family; kids, a dog. Then he was thrown further in time and she had nothing, her family were all dead, always in "accidents". All this woman had now was the school and this boy she was trying to get answers from, wishing he would co-operate so she wouldn't have to do anything she didn't want to. So she could go home and fall asleep in her chair with her drink and forget the pain, for just a while.

Then Sam was back in the room, the woman looked as shocked as he felt, how could the school have given him that power? This wasn't chemical it was supernatural.

"What have you people done to me?" Sam demanded

"umm… uh" She searched frantically through her notes.

"76B, we didn't do that, the only things they did to you were… endurance tests, nothing else… nothing"

"Are you kidding? I don't know if you've noticed these things on my back but"

The woman finished searching the notes and stopped on the last page, she looked up from it and could do nothing but stare in awe at Sam.

"experiment, you weren't made… you were born"

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I know it's really short but please Review, bubbi 


	3. The tribe

Chapter 3

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The Tribe

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A/N: Sorry it's been a while since I updated. I'm very excited about this new chapter though so please R& R A.S.A.P. thanx!

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Disclaimer: Don't own anything not original

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Sam didn't understand why this was a shock to her.

"Of course I was born, everyone is, you steal babies from hospitals and do things like give them wings, remember? Or hadn't you noticed?" Sam smirked.

"Oh 76B! Don't be so ignorant! I thought you were supposed to be intelligent! Don't you see? Put the pieces together for goodness sake!" she replied, staring intently at him. A look of disbelief spread across her face.

The smile slowly faded from his face as Sam thought about her words.

"You weren't made… you were born" 

"Oh my G… you have to be kidding!" He said but Sam knew, he'd seen her life, her inner thoughts with his own eyes. She had nothing to gain by lying to him.

"It's true 76B… can I call you Sam?"

"Yes" Sam felt he could almost trust this whitecoat… almost.

"You were part of some tribe apparently" She told him, reading through yet more notes.

"They all had wings, our scientists wanted to find out why but the adults were too strong to be captured so they took some of the infants, only you survived the trip here" The whitecoat woman looked up at Sam, her face now paler than ever, she couldn't handle this.

"They didn't take you to change you, you were taken to stop you becoming as strong as anything this world has ever seen." Suddenly Sam saw something that wasn't in that room, or even that time.

He was a man, he looked down to find himself wearing a white lab-coat. It was hot and he and several others like him were observing a battle from the safety of a nearby cave. There were military men with guns and… people with wings. The army seemed to be attacking this village, Sam saw a tall muscular man, who seemed to be the leader of the winged people. This man seemed familiar, Sam knew this must be his father.

"Mike, come see this!"

Sam turned and went towards the summoner to the back of the cave. On the wall were primitive symbols and pictures, their translator told them this was the story of a prophecy. Words flashed across the small computer screen, it told them that these people (the Rincanta tribe) believed in new life. It said that if these people were destroyed then one day, one would rise up to fight and bring them back. He would be the greatest force that mankind had ever seen. He alone would defeat his human oppressors and bring his species back. Sam leapt back as the name of this man flashed across the screen.

_S.A.M._

As if nothing had happened Sam was back in the room, in the chair. He was more confused than ever but he gathered his thoughts and decided it was best not to tell the woman what he saw.

"What are their plans for me?" Sam asked.

She searched through her notes and came to rest on a page that was whiter than the rest. As she read, a look of horror spread across her face. Her eyes met with Sam's and for one fleeting second he saw fear, fear in the heart of a whitecoat.

"You are to be interrogated, then destroyed"

"NO!" Sam cried, thoughts of his previous freedom flashing through his head. His new life with Tania and the flock could now be over, he couldn't, wouldn't lose that.

The power was back and as Sam felt it surge through him he took control of it. He snapped his restraints and rose steadily to his feet. The woman leapt back and slammed her palm down hard on an alert button. Sirens screeched down every corridor and, with this sound, came thousands of erasers. They werepouring through every entrance.

With a sweep of one, taloned hand, Sam sent 20 erasers flying into the wall. Another sweep saw 20 more meet the same fate. The erasers were stunned and, for a split- second they stopped.

This was all the time Sam needed. With one hard beat of his now angelically white wings Sam was up and out of the skylight that no-one seemed to have secured, they hadn't counted on this.

Sam sat near the school in the tallest tree he could find. He watched as erasers came swarming out of the main entrance, thirsty for Sam's blood. Every muscle in his body was screaming,

Run! 

But couldn't leave his family behind. He saw the famous Jeb Batchelder hurriedly barking orders. But the thing Sam really wanted to see was a way in where he wouldn't be noticed. He couldn't believe it but he was, going back, yet again into the school.

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_R&R please:D :D_


	4. A failed experiment

**Chapter 4

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**A failed experiment

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**A/N Hi, im proud of the content of this chapter. It's meant to be sad so tell me if it is. Not my longest but it'll do, please read and review. I've been ignored quite a bit lately!

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Disclaimer: Don't own it

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Sam awoke late that night, he had been sitting in the same tree watching the same building for the past four hours and (as much as he would hate to admit it) this was tiring work. After cursing to himself for falling asleep, he resumed scanning the building for an entry, for hours now he had been waiting for the swarm of erasers and scientists to thin out but it hadn't. Sam's actions had caused frantic panic at the school and there were boxes packed with samples and paper work being moved from the school to waiting vans, he saw no experiments though, no crates or dog baskets. Sam felt a ripple of pleasure has he realised he had caused this uproar, the school, the almighty "Institute for higher living" was running as fast as it could from being discovered, from Sam. And he had every intention of following them. 

Around 1am, Sam was woken once again. This time it was engine noise and Sam knew they were ready to go. He planned to check the building first, they may have left his flock behind. If there was no sign of them, Sam intended to follow the convoy; to the ends of the earth if he had to.

Sam ran swiftly and purposefully through the trees, almost every eraser and every scientist was in one of the vehicles, but a few were still rushing back and forth frantically. Sam tucked his wings in behind him and pulled his hood over his head as he emerged from the darkness of the trees and walked calmly to the last truck, at the back. In the flurry no-one noticed him, they wouldn't have seen Sam if he was luminous orange and wearing a clown outfit. He liked it that way. When Sam arrived at the rear truck, he took one hand out of his pocket, raised a talon and cut a minute hole in the petrol tank. He would need that trailto follow them if he couldn't find his flock.

Sam sank back into the trees and waited impatiently for the group to leave. Half an hour later the area was completely deserted and Sam flew towards the main entrance, which in their haste the whitecoats had left open. He walked through the cold glass doors into the clinical gleam of the waiting area and almost couldn't believe it was the same place. Alongside the padded blue chairs were toys and children's books, a huge friendly- looking colourful cat smiled at Sam from one wall as he passed it. Above the yellow reception desk was a sign.

_Welcome to Sir Batchelder's young maternity & children's hospital_

Sam couldn't believe it, the place was a hospital, a friendly, invitinghospital!

He screwed his eyes shut and squeezed them till they watered.

When he opened his eyes he was in the same room, although it seemed darker. Beside him Sam saw the same cat, but the transfer was peeling and beginning to turn yellow, the toys were gathering dust and the welcome sign was chipped and now read:

_E t Batchelder un ity _

Sam was bewildered by this, had he had another vision of the past? What had they done to him here? Or rather. How was he born this way?

He didn't have time to think about it however, because just then he heard a cry ahead of him. It sounded part human, part animal.

_The experiments!_

Sam leapt over the reception desk and headed for a door marked:

_Staff only, Intensive Care_

The door cracked off it's one remaining hinge as Sam burst into the ward. As far as he could see were rows of clean white beds, he knew these were just for show, the experiments, including himself had always been kept in cages. He ran past the beds through the narrow room and into another corridor. The screeching resumed and this time it didn't stop, it was so high pitched Sam had to cover his ears. He sprinted down the corridor following the noise until he reached another door marked:

_Cell 182_

Cautiously he opened the door and in front of him was the source of the noise.

As Sam walked towards it, the screeching stopped, It came from a creature in a cage. It was small and covered in scales, Sam couldn't tell if it was male or female but, as it closed it's mouth he saw a forked tongue hide amongst two or three rows of pointed teeth. It looked up at Sam with human eyes, taking deep breaths through narrow slits in it's face.

"Hello" Sam said, trying to hide his shock.

"It's okay, I won't hurt you, I'm like you, here to help" Sam reassured it, unfurling his wings.

It admired his wings and seemed reassured that Sam was no threat and he opened the cage. It stumbled out, revealing a long, green tail. And through a raspy voice it stuttered;

"Help… help… p…please" It's legs gave way and Sam had to catch it to stop it from falling, slowly he lowered it to the ground. It looked weak and Sam could see it's ribs, clearly sticking out beneath the rags it was wearing. Left here to die, another failed experiment.

" I'm Sam, what's your name?" He asked, trying to make the last voice it heard a friendly one. Sam held it close, probably the first human contact it had known.

"I'm… Keira" She replied, a small smile flickered across her face, she closed her eyes and her breathing became shallow.

Sam held her tightly and she gripped his hand. After a few minutes her grip loosened, she was gone.

_Experiment terminated_

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_R&R A.S.A.P. thanx!_


	5. Punishment

Chapter 5

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Punishment

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A/N: edited this a tiny bit, i think i must have changed it _after_ i had put it up, oops! basically the same, tiny difference.

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Disclaimer: Still dont own it

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Sam lay Keira down on the cold concrete, there was nothing he could do for her now, he knew that but still rage built up inside him. How could anyone be so heartless?There must be more

He thought to himself. Sam wasn't given much time to contemplate this as he heard another cry:

"Sam!" He thought it must be the flock.

Tania! 

With that single thought ploughing it's way through his head he ran out of the room and down the corridor, praying for them to keep shouting, praying she was okay.

Jeb Batchelder made his way to the front door having successfully avoided detection by the experiment. Jeb stood by the open doors and looked up at his magnificent building, the wonders he had discovered. As he gazed up at the rusty windows he remembered a time when they had been glossy and spellbinding along with the rest of this now decrepit structure.15 years previously when one of his staff had gotten… restless.

It was 1991 and a usual day for Jeb in the Institute, he came in through the glass doors, through the reception area, these days it was more and more empty. Jeb carried on through to his office, where he would sit down on his brown leather chair behind a vast old oak desk and call his secretary to make him coffee.

"White, no sugars"

After this, the normality would stop. Jeb would leave his office to make his way down a narrow, almost forgettable corridor, where he occasionally passed his son Ari giving him a nod of recognition. How he wished he had spoken to him more, told him how he felt. One day, 15 years ago Jeb's usual day filled with experimentation and paperwork was interrupted by a knock at his office door.

"Come in" Jeb sighed wearily as he realised he had locked the door. Slowly levering himself up from his chair and his desk, and his ever expanding pile of paperwork he walked to the door. One click saw the door open and the visitor walk inside, his white lab coat billowed behind him.

"What is it James?" Jeb asked, his tone softening slightly. James Smith had been a reliable worker for years.

"Well… sir, it's the angel experiment" James started, sitting down. Jeb looked up to see the face of his employee drenched in sweat. He hadn't noticed it before but the man's coat was dirty, his shoes were scuffed. This was especially unusual for a man whose usual attire was a sharp suit under a gleaming, freshly pressed white coat. His shoes were always polished and his hair in a severe parting in the centre of his head. He was always so… precise. And now he stuttered, lost in his own worries.

"Spit it out Jim" Jeb demanded, losing patience with the man.

"I… I… it's unethical, cruel, inhumane." James seemed to compose himself slightly, he rose in the chair as if he had just decided on why he was in this office.

"I don't want it to carry on sir. I… some people could get hurt" He finished, taking a breath and tensing in wait of a response.

"Well, that's how you feel. You should leave" Jeb said bluntly.

James stood up and turned to leave when that familiar tone sounded behind him. He had heard it so many times before, never aimed at him.

"How are you family Jim? Well I hope."

James Smith sat down.

James' "loyalty" had been strong ever since then. That was, until about a week earlier, when he had attacked Jeb with strong, honest threats.

"I don't care what you do, next week I'm going to the police. And there's nothing you can do" James had sounded cocky then. Jeb had soon dealt with that.

Jeb shook these thoughts from his mind, it didn't do well to dwell and this only made him think of Ari, he felt a stabbing pain in his chest whenever he did so. Jeb closed the doors behind him, the last exit now secured and waited for the detonation team to arrive.

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_Please review! not desperate at all lol_


	6. Unexpected Allies

Chapter 6

Unexpected allies

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**A/N**: ooh! I like this chappy, it may be my longest ever! please let me know what you think! Thank u.

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**Disclaimer:** still don't own it

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Sam opened the rotting door wide.

"Sam? Where are you?" Came Iggy's voice from the corner of the dark room. Sam was not surprised to find him in a cage. As he let him loose he asked him.

"What happened to us?"

"Don't you remember?" Iggy replied."You freaked out, no-one told me why. The last thing I heard was Max shouting 'erasers fly' and I heard Angel scream. Then I think one of them hit me across the back of the head and here I am." Iggy finished by rubbing the back of his head. Sam looked to find a huge gash, hastily sewn up.

_Why would they sew him up if they were just gonna leave him here?_ Sam thought to himself when he heard another muffled cry for help. He fanned out one wing to guide Iggy with and they both sprinted towards the cry.

It came from a small office, about two doors down a narrow, almost forgettable corridor. Sam opened the door to find something worse than anything he had ever seen. A white-coat, tied up and gagged, they had turned against their own. The white-coat looked as dazed as Sam felt and he had a name-tag.

_Professor Smith_

The white-coat glanced to Iggy and gave him a look of recognition. That's when Sam remembered Iggy couldn't see this. He used his thought projection

_Igg? In front of us is a white-coat, he seems to know you_

"Oh yeh" Iggy recalled."That's James, he fixed up my head"

Sam was, as usual, slightly confused. A whitecoat had been held here _against_ his will.As confused as he was, Sam could see he was no threat and untied him.

"Who are you?" Sam asked cautiously, none of them could be trusted.

"I'm James" he said, beginning to stand up. One look from Samput himback in his seat. Iggy stayed silent, listening.

"Why are you here?" Sam knew he should be getting on with finding others but his curiosity got the better of him.

"Well, lets just say this is my punishment. For disagreeing with mr Batchelder. He's been blackmailing me for years and I finally stopped taking it. I'm not here to stop you or hurt you. I'magainst them, just like you guys." The whitecoat stopped and looked at Iggy. Sam turned to him, he was frozen, his sightless eyes seemed to see something beyond that room.

"I hear something" He said

"I heard trucks a while ago, now there's people, they are installing something, it beeps, it clicks" Iggy seemed to _see_ through his ears. Sam had never seen this before and he was amazed.

"No" stuttered the whitecoat, his face was ashen, in stark contrast to his dark, greasy hair. "We have to get out of here, NOW!" he leapt to his feet and Sam was on him before he could move any further. He grabbed the frightened James by the wrist and sank his talons into his wrist, his flesh. "you really hate us don't you?" As James looked up at Sam, the pair exchanged glances filled with understanding. This whitecoat, Sam knew, was different.

"Yeh, you wonder why?" Sam replied, loosening his grip slightly. He had another flash and lost his grip entirely, James made no attempt to escape. Sam was on the outside of the Institute, ahead of him were men in fluorescent yellow jackets, scurrying around busily, purposefully. Sam looked down to find himself yet again in another white lab coat and from within his own head he heard a voice. Along with a sharp pain in his heart.

_Experiment?_ _What? Jeb?_Sam could barely stand the pain, the hurt, Jeb's thoughts were screaming, thinking of only one thing._Ari _

_Yes, somehow you're in my mind, I never full understood your people's ability to do that, play with the mind. But what I do know is you have no control over my actions. I know you can do nothing but watch as the building you are inside… explodes._

_No! Jeb, don't do th…_

Sam found himself back inside with Iggy and James.

"What is it Sam?" asked a concerned Iggy. "There's no time to explain, all I know is they're gonna blow this place to pieces, we have to find the others and get out of here" "Others? There were no others, just you two, you were the only ones the erasers could capture" James interrupted.

Sam didn't have time to make sure, James was a good man, Sam knew he'd just been another victim of Jeb Batchelder's determination to "learn". James had simply gotten in the way of Jeb's ambition.

"There's no way out of here Sam, they've probably sealed off all the exits" Iggy announced, even in his sightless eyes, Sam saw fear. "There's always a way Igg" Sam replied, letting a faint smile flicker across his lips.Sam had been inside Jeb's head, felt his pain and he now knew the Institute inside out. It was like having a map inside his head.

"There's one exit not secured, it's a skylight" Sam said knowingly. "Ya think he'd start sealing windows after dealing with us so many times huh?" Iggy remarked. For some unknown reason he was calm, even humourous and Sam shared this feeling.

"Yeh, you would huh?" Sam thought this was too easy, but he didn't stop to think, he knew they had to free as many experiments as could be saved and get them out of there. They set to work, searching every room, looking in every dog cage and crate, behind every rotting old door. Sam opened many doors, but any experiments he found were dead or very close to it, he opened their cages anyway, at least they would die free… almost.

They checked as many doors as possible, finding nothing alive. Some of them were faceless, some had odd growths and many looked as though they had no control over their own bodies. These were experiments grown purely for parts, not designed to ever truly live.

"Okay, we can't do anything else" said James, disgust dripping from every word he uttered. He stumbled, in disbelief at what he was part of, what he had helped in creating.

"Come on!" Sam demanded, "This is no time for emotion, we have to run!" Sam fanned out his wings for each of his companions to hold and sped purposefully down the corridors, he knew exactly when to turn, occasionally veering left, right. He went through doors and into more rooms, passing more dead experiments. In some rooms he passed desks filled with paper work, half used cups of coffee. Paper scattered every where, chairs turned on their sides and filing cabinets left wide open, complete dissaray had taken over the Institute. Sam barely saw any of this has he sped through the school towards the skylight, why was there a skylight? Well, neither Sam nor the author knew the answer to that but Sam didn't care, it was a way out.

Within a few minutes of setting off, Sam had found their destination. Now there were three people standing in a room with a skylight, three people and two sets of wings. Sam looked at James trying to estimate his weight. James caught his eye and realised what he was expected to do.

"No, really? Fly?"

"Do you have any better ideas?" said Iggy, "We can carry him together, we're gonna have to break through the glass… wait, Sam the beeping is getting faster." Together, they got hold of James, who reluctantly co-operated. "Let's go!" yelled Sam. Simultaneously, two pairs of knees tensed, two leapt up and two magnificent sets of wings snapped open.

Jeb Batchelder sat in his car, driving far from the Institute for higher living towards a new base, they would never be found again, they could not hire anyone new. It was too risky and as for those frustrating winged experiments, well they would have to be dealt with, his latest experiment could take care of them.

Jeb sped up as he heard an explosion behind him.

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R & R, can't wait for a reaction!


	7. Out of the fire

Chapter 7

Out of the fire…

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**A/N: i have written 3 chapters at once, i'll put the other 2 up tmoz, no later today, no now! anyway, R&R please.**

**Disclaimer:Don't own it**

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When Sam awoke he was horrified to find himself in a hospital, doctors and nurses rushed busily around him, each one gawping at him as they passed. He looked to his right to find Iggy still unconscious and in a similar state to him, covered in cuts and bruises, they had been a little too close to the building when it exploded. What frightened Sam the most however was that Iggy's wings were held up and out, they were on show for scientists to "learn" about them. Sam turned to see that his wings were the same, the delicate white feathers had been plucked in places, exposing skin so the scientists could examine him. They were all the same.

It was waking up and vet, Rosie Taylor was determined to be the first to speak to one of these magnificent specimens, she cursed herself for calling the boy an "it". She didn't want to become like the rest of these doctors, she had to force herself not to get too carried away. Rosie had to see the person behind the wings. He was one of the only survivors of a mysterious accident, a building exploding with no-one inside it, except for three people and Rosie knew they weren't in there by accident.

A mousey, brown haired woman was heading in Sam's direction, he tried to sit up but the lead weight of whatever drugs they had put in him stopped him from doing so. She sat down in the sturdy wooden chair next to him, that's when he noticed he and Iggy were in a private room. Through his morphine induced haze he saw four walls and a door. There were windows but all the blinds were shut, he was being hidden. Sam found his speech slurred slightly as he spoke.

"Who are you…w..what are you…going to do with us?" he managed to utter.

"Wait a minute" said the woman, standing up and reaching for the bag he was attached to, his drip. She disconnected it and, almost instantly Sam felt more conscious, aware of his surroundings..

"You're still kinda out of it, you've been unconscious for about a week"

"That's generally what happens when you jump out of a building… about… to explode" replied Sam, he felt slightly better, but not like himself.

Rosie was amazed, the boy spoke, he had intelligence of any other young boy, she had heard him mumble and coo (literally) in his sleep but he seemed to have both an avian sirynx and a human larynx. She had no idea if he'd be able to have conversations, let alone intelligent ones. Yet here she was, speaking to (for lack of a better word) a bird-boy. And he was even being humourous with her.

"So, are you going… to tell me… how I got here?" Sam asked in an impatient tone. Rosie hadn't realised she had been sitting staring at him for about a minute with her mouth open. She pulled her jaw up from her knees and composed herself, pushing her glasses back up her nose.

"I think the ambulance found you, James Smith is doing fine, he was discharged yesterday. Anyway, there was a huge explosion so the hospital called the police and sent out an ambulance, just incase. When they discovered you, they weren't quite sure what to do. You weren't breathing so they had to assume you had a human respiratory system and performed CPR" she took a breath.

"I guess its lucky I do then huh?" Sam said, rubbing his chest, which was as bruised as the rest of him.

"Yes, yes. Anyway" Rosie carried on, getting excited.

"They brought you here and called me, I'm Rosie Taylor, I'm a vet. They asked me to take a look at you, fix any bird parts, but your wings were fine. Very fine."

Rosie glanced at his wings and Sam saw a look he recognised, the whitecoats had looked at him this way many times. It was a look of greed, they never had compassion and they only saw him as something to examine, to test. A "specimen" and he thought he'd escaped that but here he was, with yet another scientist who was looking at his wings in exactly the same way as all the others. She was different though, she snapped herself out of it and brought her gaze back to him, smiling warmly.

"Sorry, you're just so… amazing" she gawped slightly again between sentences.

"No-one has ever seen anything like you, technically you should never have been made, you should be like any other boy your age. Normal, well… wingless" Sam thought it better not to inform her of his past, she was still wearing a white lab coat after all. As he began to feel more like himself, he levered himself up in his bed, exposing a light blue, slightly too small hospital night gown.

"What about Iggy?" asked Sam, moving his gaze to the still figure in the bed next to him. His question seemed to forcibly pull the smile from her face.

"I'm afraid he's not so good, he was hit with a huge shard of glass and the paramedics had to drag a fair amount of debris away from him" Rosie looked to the other "miracle". He was still unconscious and his vitals weren't as strong as the white winged one. This reminded her of something she really should have asked him.

"Do you have a name?" She asked him. Sam looked back to her, the least of his worries now was whether or not she knew his name. He tried to see if he could use this mind thing he had. Sam closed his eyes and tries to throw himself into Iggy's mind. Quickly muttering "Sam" as he did so.

_Iggy?_

_Sam? Is that you?_

_Yeh, it's a weird power I have. Anyway, are you okay? They say you're not doing good. We're in a hospital now, there's a vet here too, Rosie._

_It's weird Sam, it's like there's a weight on me. I can't, won't wake up._

_Don't give up Iggy, you have to…_

Sam couldn't stay there any longer, it was too hard and he was too weak. He opened his eyes again, feeling drained but relieved. He knew how to help Iggy.

"You have to get rid of the drugs! Now!"

"What?" Rosie was confused. She had just seen a boy with wings close his eyes and disappear, just vanish into thin air. And now here he was again demanding that she take pain killers away from a boy who's chest had recently been crushed by 100lbs of concrete.

"You do realise you just vanished" Rosie asked, nothing could surprise her now.

"What? I can't explain that but all I know is those drugs are holding him down, he can't wake up" Sam continued, getting more and more frustrated but unable to move due to his wings being strapped to the bed.

"But, Sam, he'll be in so much pain!" Rosie was beginning to get frightened.

"Just do it!" Sam was getting angry now, his eyes seemed to fill with fire, literally, they had a slight red glow. Rosie could almost feel the flames licking her face.

"Okay, okay" she said getting up and rushing her way over to Iggy. Half to take away the morphine, half to get away from Sam. She detached the drip from Iggy's un-moving form and waited. Her eyes flicked between the machines, she watched, her whole body tensed.

Sam watched Iggy's eyes, praying he was right. He desperately hoped they flicker open and he'd smile and thank him.

Iggy didn't.

"It's okay" Said Rosie, seeing the pain in Sam's face that he hadn't tried to hide from her.

"There's a pulse still, it's weak but getting stronger" Rosie continued, trying to reassure Sam.

Sam closed his eyes again, and promptly disappeared.

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review! 


	8. The flock

Chapter 8

The flock

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A/N: just incase anyone's wondering, here's whats goin on with the flock.

Disclaimer:still dont own it.

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Max looked around the small cave, there was no sign of Fang. Max panicked for a minute and almost began a frantic search, until she caught a glimpse of a dark silhouette just outside the cave. He was watching the sun rise, he always did.

She made her way over to him and set herself down beside him. He shuffled closer to her, she felt his wings brush against her own. Max tried desperately to push strange thoughts out of her mind.

" Do you think we'll find them? Any of them?" Max asked. Fang didn't look at her, he carried on gazing at the sunset.

"I don't know, those erasers split us up pretty efficiently, I don't know where any of them could be" He replied dryly. Max stared at her feet, she tired to snap herself out of this, it was Fang! She shouldn't feel this way, he was a friend. She felt a lump at the bottom of her throat at the thought of never seeing Angle again, never ruffling her hair or comforting her when she had a nightmare. She could be alone now, lost.

Max snapped herself out of it, she raised her eyes to find Fang's own looking into them. He looked into her eyes and she saw emotions on his face he had never shown before.

"I haven't forgotten ya know?" Fang said, drawing his face back to its usual blank form. He stood up and walked back to the cave. She raised herself up, not quite sure what had just happened.

_Wait Max, the answers will come_

Ah, there was the voice again, she hadn't heard from it in a while.

_Yeh, maybe I will, but I don't want to wait_

"Come on, if we're gonna find them, we better start looking, let's head for the Institute" Max announced, taking up her usual role of leader.

The pair ran straight off the cliff edge, wings flapping and they gracefully took off. Max didn't feel right, she put herself closer to Fang as glided along, taking advantage of every change in the wind. He was showing off and they both knew it.

Suddenly Max felt a searing pain across her forehead, she clutched at her head and tried desperately to keep her wing beats regular. It was no use.

Max dropped like a stone out of the sky.

………………………………………………………………………………………..

Angel wandered through the trees, clutching Total close to her. She knew she'd been bad, but Mr Jeb had told her to trust him, so she did. She sent out signals to erasers, she didn't think it would be _that _bad. And now here she was all alone, lost in a forest. It was getting dark and the trees leaned in on her, everyone looming in on her made her feel more and more guilty. It was her fault this had happened.

She found a tall tree and, with all the strength in her little wings, she threw herself and Totalup to a sturdy branch and tried to sleep.

………………………………………………………………………………………..

"Gazzy! Wait up!" cried Nudge, Gazzy was frantic with worry about his sister. So was Nudge but she couldn't go much faster with a broken arm. It almost seemed to be weighing her down. The little boy turned to her, "You okay Nudge" She nodded although she felt faint. Nudge followed Gazzy's horrified gaze to her arm. It was bleeding again.

Nudge couldn't stand up, she tried desperately to steady herself but in the end she had to sit down.

"Just for a minute Gazz" Nudge whispered.

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	9. sacrifices

Chapter 9 

Sacrifices

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**A/N: im really going for the sadness factor here, so please comment on that. thanx**

**Disclaimer:still dont own it**

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Danny pulled the car up to the front of the hospital and scratched the back of his head, fake police badge at the ready. He sighed to himself as he thought about what would happen when he stepped outside the green 4x4. Another job for Jeb that he wouldn't do himself. But heaven forbid anyone else should fail, he would have Danny's head on a plate if he messed this up. That is, if the erasers didn't get there first. A low growl gave him an incentive to get moving. He scratched the back of his head again, opened the door and hopped out on the cold, hard ground and heard the two back doors slam behind him. Two erasers had accompanied him to fetch the winged experiments. Jeb had already personally dealt with Professor Smith, but then he had blackmailed a real police officer to pick James up outside the hospital.

He walked towards the feeling, an odd sensation playing on the back of his mind. For some reason he couldn't stop scratching the back of his head. But as soon as the feeling had arrived it was gone.

Sam appeared back in front of Rosie, desperately trying to hide his fear.

"We have to get out of here, NOW!" Sam demanded leaping to his feet, wincing as he ripped his wings away from their restraints. He grabbed his jeans and pulled the hospital gown over his head.

"But Sam, calm down. Why do we need to get out of here?" Rosie asked.

"The basic point is there are men on their way in here, and if they get me and Iggy into their car. We will be dead. Full stop." Sam didn't seem to be concerned with the fact he didn't have a t-shirt on. He rushed over to Iggy and pulled apart the sick restraints they had on his wings.

"Do you have a wheelchair?" he turned to Rosie, panic settling on him.

"Sam, you can't be serious."

"Look, you either help me out here. Or we both die" Sam replied, fighting back tears. Rosie sighed.

"Yes, here" she said, opening up a wheel chair. They both lowered Iggy into it and set towards the door. Sam tucked Iggy's wings in behind him, they seemed fairly concealed by the chair. As for his, he draped them round himself, he may have gotten away with pretending they were a coat. They were big enough.

"We'll have to move quickly" Rosie started. "Yes, I'm on your side here" she added, noticing the quizzical look on Sam's face. "The hospital is real busy at this time of day, if we're fast enough they might not notice"

"Here" Rosie stopped Sam and draped a white coat round his folded wings. It made every inch of Sam itch.

The pair slipped out of the door, pushing Iggy, in front of them. Trying to stay as calm as possible they walked down the long white hall towards the exit. Sam saw Danny at the reception alongside two erasers whose noses shot up in the air when they passed. They continued to the door and thought they were free when they heard a low threatening growl behind them.

"Run!" yelled Sam, thankful to be ripping off the coat and snapping his wings open. Rosie put Iggy over her shoulders and sped through the doors, closely followed by Sam. He stopped and Rosie hesitated.

"Keep going, I'll catch up" Sam ordered her. She ran and kept running, never once looking behind her. If she had taken a glance she would have seen her new found ally facing two huge wolf-men, she also would have seen a faint glow.

Sam decided to show the erasers his power. He felt it build up inside him and stretched his wings out. The erasers stopped, stunned slightly. One ran towards Sam and was met by his strong hard foot. Sam heard a sickening crack and the eraser sank to the ground, clutching his neck. The second eraser, angry now, launched a fist at Sam. Sam caught it and twisted it powerfully, he spun the arm all the way round and its owner quickly followed, landing on his back, whimpering and clutching his mangled arm. Danny was stunned but Sam ignored him. He was no threat. He allowed the power to subside and took off in the direction Rosie had run.

He found her at the back of the hospital, hunched over something. It was Iggy and he was still, too still. She turned and looked up at Sam, her face glistening with tears.

"It was his heart, he couldn't take all this"

"No!" Sam wouldn't give up, he threw her aside and pumped Iggy's heart. Punching his chest. Bringing his fist down on it, time after time.

"Dammit, Iggy! Breath!" Sam was desperate, tears flowing freely he kept trying.

"BREATH!"

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awww sniffles please review 


	10. Realisation

Chapter 10

Realisation

**A/N: Sooo sorry i haven't updated but it does mean i have written a few more chapters! i will put 2 up just now!**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own it.

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"Damn it, Iggy! Breathe!" Sam was desperate, tears flowing freely he kept trying. 

"BREATHE!"

Sam turned to Rosie and she understood. Sam threw himself, once again into Iggy's mind. Rosie continued CPR, more for Sam's benefit than Iggy's.

Sam found himself in an empty room, a single chair sat in the centre. The door was ajar, this room had recently been vacated. There was one solitary window and the sun shone outside. Sam could barely see through it but he saw the sun setting.

He went back to find Rosie still beating the chest of Iggy's still form.

"Keep going" Sam ordered. Rosie obeyed and Sam took off in search of revenge. He flew and flew, following the green 4x4. Danny would run back to Jeb, he was sure of it. Rage seared its way through him and it motivated him to pay Danny a visit, Danny would lead him to Jeb one way or another. He launched himself towards the car, and landed (perhaps a little ungracefully) on the roof.

Danny was sweating profusely as he sped towards the new base, Jeb hadn't warned him about that, a young boy had beat the living daylights out of two fully grown erasers. Danny veered to the right slightly as he heard a huge thud on the roof of his car.

Sam was angry now, very angry. It was thanks to these people that Iggy could be dead and they deserved to pay for it. In his rage he proceeded to rip apart the roof of the car. What else were talons for, he had this power inside him and he wanted vengeance. Slowly he peeled back the roof, revealing a white-faced, frightened looking man. There was an appalling screech as he ripped the rest of the roof off and hopped into the passenger seat beside Danny. He may have been angry but he still wanted to freak the guy out before he did him any real damage.

"Hi, remember me?" Sam asked calmly. Danny turned to face him but couldn't speak.

"Right then" said Sam, "lets get right to it"

Danny was shaking, fear shown through his eyes along with something else Sam was surprised to see. A glimmer of excitement. But the fear shining innocently through this man's eyes reminded Sam of Tania the first time they had met.

He pictured her, shivering slightly, the cold, clinical light revealing a thin layer of fur all over her body. The light rays bounced off each hair as, with her milky grey eyes she stared in awe at the dark, white winged figure next to her. The faint glow on his wings became brighter as he turned to her in their tiny cage. He smiled at her with pure warmth and her eyes lit up, she knew he was a good person right from the start.

Sam snapped himself back to his senses and turned back to the blinking face of Danny.

"Take me to Jeb" ordered Sam. He no longer planned on hurting him but he didn't want to waste the advantage he had. Danny was still afraid of Sam and pressed his foot down harder on the accelerator.

"no, wait!" Yelled Sam reaching for the steering wheel. Danny panicked and swerved violently to the left, throwing Sam out of the car and across the road. He had lost control and desperately tried to steady himself as he sped towards a tall oak tree.

Sam sat on the roadside opposite the wrecked car. He picked himself up and stumbled over to the car. In the drivers seat he saw an unconscious Danny, Sam practically ripped the door off and flew back to the hospital with Danny in his arms. Still in disbelief at what he could have done, he was just as sick as those erasers, the difference was he could stop himself. Sam landed gracefully amongst legions of police cars in front of the hospital. He was inside the hospital before any of the officers began to move in his direction.

Sam flew through the entrance hall towards any doctor he could find, desperately trying to resist the urge to do it literally. He nearly ran straight into a startled doctor.

"Here" Said Sam "He needs help, please" The doctor took the barely breathing Danny off him and called for assistance. They put Danny on a crash trolley and pushed him through double doors, the doctor yelling orders. This is what the curse that was Jeb had done to him. He nearly murdered an innocent person. He knew now more than ever that Batchelder needed to be exposed for what he was. Sam was about to be arrested, not just for what he was but for hurting someone. He hated to be wrongly accused and he didn't want to prove their point by hurting the officers but Sam needed to get out of there.

There was no time to find another exit, police officers were pouring in from every one. Sam had no choice, he felt that familiar surge of power and turned towards the main entrance. An army of police-men were waiting for him, along with some members of the military.

"Stop right there!" yelled the officer at the front of the group.

"I'm so sorry" whispered Sam as, with a sweep of one hand, the entire group split, each one flying against a wall, clearing a path for Sam. He heard a few frightened yells behind himas he ran through the glass doors and took flight.

……………………………………………………………………………………..

Rosie watched Iggy, they were back inside the hospital and he was in a bed. Hidden from the surrounding police force. She watched as his chest slowly raised itself up, then gently back down again.

Rosie wasn't the only one watching. A winged figure sat in a nearby tree, watching quietly through the window. A smile spread across his lips and his wings had a faint glow as he spread them wide and took off into the night.

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So sorry i haven't updated in a while! R&R! 


	11. The new experiment

Chapter 11

The new experiment

A/N: Just to warn you, i've decided to add a few chappys so don't worry if u think u missed summin

Disclaimer: Still don't own it

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Iggy found himself in a hospital, he felt like he'd been there before, he'd certainly had an odd dream involving Sam. Through blurred vision he saw a small woman by his bed, she was asleep, breathing lightly. He had no idea who she was but for some reason he recognised her. Iggy raised himself in the small bed and felt strong pressure on his wings. He turned to see restraints on them and wasn't surprised, he had done this before, somehow. 

Rosie woke with a start to see in front of her, an empty bed.

…………………………………………………………………………

There HE was, standing there over the body of his son. HE stuttered 

"_Ari?"_

_The pale form didn't move at first, then, Ari smiled and began to stand up, brushing himself off. _

_HE stretched his arms out to hold his son, feel his warmth. Before HE could move his arms were pinned down. Held behind HIS back by a force too strong for HIM to resist,_

"_Stop!" HE yelled, struggling to turn himself to see his attacker. All he saw was IT smile. And then it started laughing, cackling, it wouldn't stop._

_HE could do nothing but watch as Ari crumpled to the ground. Despite his struggling he couldn't get out of her grasp. Her? Yes, it was._

_She loosened her grip and let him turn. Still laughing at him. He saw her face._

"_Baby girl?" he mumbled, she threw him down and continued to cackle. Mocking him, his sweet little angel. She stopped abruptly as something ruffled her feathers, he heard his baby scream as she became a dark silhouette against a frighteningly intense light._

…………………………………………………………………………………………

Jeb shot up in his chair dripping with sweat. He'd been having the same dream for the past year and it still scared him, made him remember Maximum. His Maximum.

Jeb's thoughts were interrupted by a sharp knock at his cabin door. He pushed himself through the hot, stuffy room towards the door. He picked up a handgun and asked.

"Who is it?" Jeb demanded, trying to keep a tone of authority in his voice but it sounded scratchy due to sleep and he didn't like that. Jeb had to be in control.

"Jake sir" a familiar voice sounded behind the thin wood. Jeb lowered his gun and opened the door.

"What is it Jake?" asked Jeb, admiring the erasers eyes, there was always defiance there. He had always liked that about Jake, he did as he was told but on his own terms. Jeb almost felt guilty that he was about to take all that away.

"We have a problem sir, it's about Danny" Jake started, waiting for a reaction. Another trait Jeb usually admired was Jake's ability to absorb tension, almost enjoy some sort of sick pleasure in it. A faint smile played across his lips as he expected frustration, even fear. It reminded Jeb of himself, it would be a shame to destroy that glitter in Jake's eyes but Jeb had to keep reminding himself that efficiency was the way forward. He could not afford for any of his employees to suffer a bout of emotion at a crucial moment or maybe worse than that, show mercy.

Jeb sighed as he asked an almost unnecessary question.

"What happened?" He asked waiting for the usual answer. Jake didn't disappoint.

"He failed sir, he's in hospital right now"

Jeb was surprised to find himself wincing at this news. Danny had been highly regarded by Jeb but he had learned long ago that it was better not to get emotional. Jeb was constantly pulled down by sorrows that hung like a lead weight around his neck. If he let them get to him he'd never be out of his chair. He pulled himself together and pushed the eraser lightly as he stepped down on to the dusty ground. Closing his cabin door behind him, he marched past the erasers huddled round a small fire and towards a second cabin, similar to his own.

Jeb stepped up to the door, the weak old steps moaned and creaked under his weight and he turned to find Jake by his side.

"Come with me Jake, there's something I have to show you" Jake followed him obediently in to the cabin and Jeb locked the door behind him. He figured this was as good a time as any to try his new experiment.

No-one else heard the Jake desperately scratching on the other side of the thin wood.


	12. Control

Chapter 12

Control

A/N: okey doke! now ur up to date!

Disclaimer: Do i look like James Patterson to you!

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Sam looked down onto the streets below from his rooftop perch. He sat on one of the tallest skyscrapers in the city, he wasn't quite sure what city it was but it did have the best view. One of the perks of being a bird-kid, he could see each individual person rushing through the streets, every single one of them on a mission. Unfortunately he forgot the downside of super-senses and nearly toppled off his perch as the sound of a low-flying jumbo reached his sensitive ears. 

He steadied himself and thought about what he could do next. He had to find Jeb it was just a question of how. He scrolled through his powers,

_Thought projection, hmm… no._

_Mind entry, no,_

_What about?_

Sam tried desperately to summon his power, he felt the energy build up inside him, his whole body lifted slightly as it surged through him then… nothing. Absolutely nothing, obviously that wasn't going to help him.

Then a thought struck him, what if he could enter Jeb's mind? From where he was.

He closed his eyes and disappeared.

_Whoa dude! What are you?_

_Oh… um sorry._

Maybe this time Sam would have to aim further than the street below.

……………………………………………………………………………………

Dominic (X32BBB) felt his heart striking his chest at record speed as he stumbled and fell in the trees, it was after him and this one was worse than any other he had seen. These tests had always been difficult but he never thought the institute would actually have him in fear of his life. This was like a… a super-eraser. It tore through the forest with relentless force and Dom was pretty sure it must have broken its leg at least twice by now. That didn't even distract it, he was the target and it was determined to get him at all costs.

Jake felt like his brain was being stretched across something long and prickly. He had been ordered to hunt down a minor experiment. Nothing too exciting and yet he was tearing through this forest as if his life depended on this one kill. There was searing pain in his chest and in both of his legs and yet they dragged him between the trees. Relentlessly pulling on him, ignoring his pain, it was like he had no control over his own actions, even his own thoughts. His body pushed what was left of his soul towards the poor creature. Jake was so scared he tried to reason with himself.

_Stop it! Please! Stop!_

Of course there was no reply he just continued running, faster and faster and faster. Jake felt gashes being torn in his legs, stray branches ripping at the flesh on his arms and legs. Through a red haze Jake saw the beast fall and felt himself leap towards it, it raised a weak, scaled arm in defence but it was no use.

In his final moments of life Dominic saw a single tear roll down the eraser's cheek.

Jake sat cross-legged next to his kill.

"Sorry" He whispered to the small body beside him. Jake never would have killed the boy, he knew it. But here he was with the body lying here. A needless death and Jake knew if he had had the choice he would simply have captured it. Jake held his head in his hands and rock himself gently to stop the shivering sensation running through his body.

For the first time in his life, the eraser cried.

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_Okay, goin for the sad idea now as in "aww" and so on... review!_


	13. Betrayal

**Chapter 13**

**Betrayal

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**

The steady beat of strong wings soothed Sam's anguish as he flew towards what he thought was Jebs new base. He had made a brief journey to the mind of one of his erasers, apparently named Jake. He examined the surroundings through Jakes eyes and left him as he entered a small cabin with Jeb. Then he flew off in search of the place, ah, to be a bird-kid. 

Below him, Sam could see trees, lots of trees. Always a favourite spot for hiding illegal experimentation. Sam dipped slightly as he slowed down to hover over the vast forest. He scanned everywhere, every tree, every clearing searching for something that didn't fit. After some frustrating searching he caught a glimpse of white in the corner of his eye. Through closer inspection he found it was a small cabin, there were only three or four but Sam had already seen the whole thing through Jake's eyes. He knew this had to be the place.

Sam tumbled face forward into a tree as his legs gave way beneath him. Landing was never his greatest skill. Luckily for him no-one seemed to be guarding the small base so his embarrassing amount of noise went un-noticed. He slipped through the trees towards the cabins. Sam sat in the darkest patch of shrubbery he could find near the site and tried to stay inconspicuous. This proved difficult as his wings hadn't lost their white glow since he had last summoned the power. In fact, the strength itself hadn't left him. It sat, fizzing at the back of his consciousness ready to be used at any time. Sam tensed as Jeb Batchelder stepped out of a cabin with a sign scratched across the wooden door:

_Restricted _

With every step Jeb took Sam had to resist the urge to jump out and throttle him for all the pain he had caused. It pleased him to see Batchelder was worried, sweat dripped from every pore as if he was shedding his consciensce itself. Jeb stumbled twice on his way to another cramped, narrow building and paced nervously up the steps towards the door. Sam could have sworn Jeb looked straight at him before retreating into the room and closing the door.

Jeb slumped into his chair, he felt his shirt stick to his back but he was focusing on something else. A skill he had practiced ever since he got into this business. With his sweat he let his conscience go to. Let it ooze out of every pore and leave him. Jeb had to learn not to feel. A screech from outside let him know one of his many terrible chores was ended. He picked himself up and went outside.

* * *

Sam had to swallow a gasp as he nearly tripped over a small body. It had been so badly mutilated its face could barely be made out. There wasn't an inch of it unscathed. Sam kneeled down beside it. He could tell it was an eraser attack, any animal would have eaten it, not just left it here. It wasn't just any eraser though, normally they were much more efficient and there was always a fine line across the victims neck. Even erasers had limits. Sam looked up at the sound of quiet sobbing, ahead of him was a large figure hunched over. It held its head in its hands and faint sniffs could be heard from its direction. The creature hadn't noticed Sam edging ever closer. One broken twig later and its head shot up. Sam stumbled back, it was an eraser. It was Jake. 

"D…Did you do that?" stuttered Sam, pointing a talon to the still body. Jake nodded.

"I didn't want to, I couldn't stop" Jake looked straight at Sam. He saw fear in those black eyes, fear and something else. Guilt? He wasn't sure but maybe it was telling the truth. After all Jake wasn't trying to kill him and erasers always wanted Sam dead. Jake wasn't even standing, he knelt there scratching at something round his neck.

"Please help me. You're the one with all that power aren't you? I'm not me" sighed the eraser.

"I have no control. I wouldn't have done that to Dom if I could help it." He finished, glancing at the body.

"If she makes me attack you I won't stop. It gives me strength I can't control. Save me… p…please" Jake rose to his feet as if pulled by an external force. He tensed, preparing to leap onto Sam. With the power summoned Sam wasn't expecting a challenge. His ideas changed when he was pinned against a tree trunk. His force barely keeping the eraser from tearing him apart. Jake's powerful arms were thrashing out against Sam's power. His wild eyes not focused.

An idea struck Sam before Jake could and he caught a brief glimpse of Jeb before he disappeared.

Sam couldn't stay in Jakes mind for long. Pain shot through him almost as soon as he entered, alongside it cam anger and frustration. Jake was fighting, lashing out at his oppressor but all these different feelings and thoughts were hurting Sam, killing him. He couldn't escape but Jake wasn't the one keeping him in there, no, this was stronger than any eraser. Sam began to panic, he couldn't bear the thought of being trapped somewhere again. He clung to one remaining strand of sanity and pulled his way out of Jakes mind, a child's laugh ringing out behind him as he left.

Sam was against the tree again beside a very confused eraser. He stood for only a second before his legs crumpled under his weight. All his strength had left him and now he was helpless. Sam could only watch as Jake picked him up. He heard that same laugh before his world was consumed by darkness and he fell, without resistance into a deep dreamless sleep.

Jeb couldn't help but let a smile pass his lips as Jake carried what was supposed to be the biggest threat in his arms. Sam just hung there, limp and helpless. Jeb liked helplessness.

"Did I do good Mr Jeb?" asked the little girl standing beside him.

"Yes Angel good girl" Jeb ruffled her hair and her feathers before making his way back to camp.

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I would like to apologise for ignoring this for so long, i will update again A.S.A.P, seriously! please Review? 


	14. Trapped

Chapter 14

Max awoke to find herself in Fangs arms, held her close and for the first time she saw fear in those big dark eyes.

"Fang?" She asked. He said nothing but began to shiver, it wasn't cold enough to justify that but he was shaking. Fang, the strong one was visibly shaking. Max sat up and her surroundings hit her like a smack in the face. They were in a grey cell with no windows. A sodden mattress lay against one wall and the room was dimly lit by a single bulb, hanging loosely from a bare wire. Max turned back to Fang who had now backed into the corner by the heavy steel door.

"What happened Fang? Where are we?" "Angel sh…she. Angel" Was all Fang managed to stutter. HE didn't look at Max , he pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms and wings around them. He looked so much smaller than the Fang he had once been. "Fang. Tell me what happened!" demanded Max, if Angel was in danger she had to know.For the first time since she had awoken, Max saw her own Fang in his eyes. The Fang she had known and loved. Loved? This wasn't the time.She sat down next to him on the cold concrete and he pulled her in under a dark wing as she tucked in her own behind her back. "You had no control did you?" Began Fang. "When you dropped out of the air you couldn't move could you? I chased after you and managed to stop you just above the ground." "So how did we end up here?" Asked Max.

"Angel. She used those powers. Messed with your head. Then she did it to me, I couldn't fight it. I carried you here and sat down in this cell." Fang turned to her, his pained eyes staring intently into her own.

"She didn't free me for 2 days, 2 full days Max! Two days of screaming inside my own head. Then you woke up and she let me go" Fang finished but didn't stop looking at her.

"You were so still Max. I,i…"

"What?" worried Max, lost in his frightened shining eyes.

"I thought you'd never wake up." Fang leaned in towards Max, holding her closer she felt his warm breath against her cheek. As their lips met Max felt something she had never felt before. In that cold little cell, just for a moment, Max felt safe.

Then Sam arrived.


	15. A past life

Chapter 15

* * *

Sam looked small and frail as he landed with a thump in the dark room. He didn't move as his limp body hit the hard concrete but his wings still glowed faintly. Max scrambled over to him, leaving Fang sitting in that corner, watching and still trying to pull himself together. She picked Sam up and half dragged him towards the damp mattress. He was barely breathing as she lay him gently on his back, wings spread behind him he lay motionless, but for an occasional wheezing breath and mumbling in his sleep.

* * *

Jeb Batchelder walked the corridors of what was soon to be the institute for Higher Living. They would make more miracles of evolution and continue their research into altering human DNA. Even with all this lying before him Jeb couldn't help but think of that prophecy from so many years ago. After all, they had never named any of their experiments but foolishly thinking they were worth something the experiments had named themselves. That boy had chosen Sam but that hadn't worried Jeb. He was a man of science and ignored the nonsense of prophecies and the like. Why should he be worried by that boy naming himself Sam, it was a mere coincidence. So what if the natural born avian human being had exceeded any others in his physical tests? His wings glowing? Surely a trick of the light, merely a difference in his wing fibres and colour. Jeb didn't believe it could be any thing more. No, he thought to himself, being honest for the first time in a long time. Jeb tried to ignore all the signs promised by those savages but there was something inside him that couldn't help but see the truth. These fears sat there, pushed as far as possible to the back of the mind but still that constant itch meant he could never quite settle. His only comfort was the familiarity of those few remaining cells from the previous institute. In a different centre they had been saved from the destruction of a few days ago. These were all he had left to remind him of past triumphs and outwardly that was why they were kept. The reason no one but Jeb knew however went much deeper. They contained his last memories of Ari.

Jeb felt hairs on the back of his neck rise like so many pins prickling their way up his spine. If he didn't know better he could have sworn to have heard feathers rustle. That was impossible. They had them all in custody, even the original Rincanta, one was dead but, no he couldn't have survived the blast, Danny was sent in to the hospital to make sure. Jeb walked on, trying to ignore that growing sense of doubt.

"Agitated sir?"

Jeb spun round at once and froze; the only sound was that of his own quick, panicked breaths.

"You have something, or things that I want" It continued.

"Who are you?" Jeb asked, trying to mask the fear in his voice. The voice whispered,

"Veronica."

"What's wrong sir?" He looked to his right to find a concerned looking officer.

"Yes!" He snapped, confusing the man further.

"Of course I'm fine!" Jeb continued, trying to keep the authority in his quavering voice. The man hoped he was dismissed he turned and walked away. Trying to stop himself from breaking into a run.

Once the interfering officer had turned the corner Jeb turned to face the new window. He calmly observed light filtering through the half-open blinds. He let out a sigh as he saw a personification of his own life in those gaps between bars of light. He'd always tried to stay in the sunlight but had always been drawn to the areas of darkness, there wasn't hope in that place. Now he knew he could never escape that hopelessness, the constant fear and fight. His imagination had whispered her name, that voice said it. Softly, gently but certainly not without an edge of threat.

He knelt in the bars of light and realised how trapped he was. He barely remembered a time of happiness anymore but he knew there must have been a time. In that small recess of his mind there was reserved one shining memory.

"Aaron, can you pass daddy the ball?" Jeb said smiling at his little boy. The little one laughed as his father missed another of his excellent shots. Jeb bundled him up in his arms, making him laugh even more and together they fell to the ground.

"_Are you two quite finished?" came a voice from the kitchen. "Lunch is ready."_

_She came outside, elegant as ever. Even after a child she hadn't lost her figure, she still had that playful spark in her eyes. His Veronica stood there, arms folded in mock frustration. She walked over to her two favourite men who stood up to greet her. Jeb held her head in his hands and kissed her gently on the lips, the way she loved, not too soft, not too hard. Then he embraced them both and was met with more of his child's laughter._

Laughter still ringing in his ears, Jeb stood up slowly. But crumpled back down to his knees faster. All memories after that one were of death, violence and fear. Jeb Batchelder held his head in his hands as he realised he would never be free. He would never be happy again.

* * *

_Please Review. The next chapter is ready so i'll put it up now too but i've been having problems with uploading so it may take a while. Anyway, enjoy!_


	16. A Gift

**Chapter 16**

**Disclaimer: Didn't invent the original idea etc. All new characters are my own. Please note i have only read the first book so this is based after that.**

...

Iggy cooed softly from near the top of a silver fir. He had really messed that creep up.

"Icarus listen." Iggy stopped, all humour quickly evaporating. There was a voice inside his head and not just any voice. This one he never thought he'd hear again.

"Sam? Where are you?"

"In a cell somewhere. I think I'm asleep so this is kinda weird. I knew I could speak to you. Iggy, I'm meant to something big, something scary, I'm meant to save us all but I can't even wake up. I'm relying on you now Iggy. Stop him doing anything while we aren't protected. The flock is weak but I can do one thing for you. Maybe."

Iggy waited patiently for a few seconds. He noticed no signs. More seconds, nothing. His faith began to falter. It was renewed soon however as light began to filter through the trees nearby him. This, on its own was not particularly significant, the astonishing part was that Iggy was aware of it happening. His heartbeat raced as he began to make out shapes, colours and the light became clearer and clearer. Tears flowed from his newly sighted eyes.

"Sam?" he asked quietly, trying to stop his voice from quavering.

"Did it work?"

"How did you do that?"

"To tell the truth I'm not even sure. But I'm finding it increasingly difficult to think. Something's dragging me down Igg. Look after Tania. Keep her safe!"

"Sam?! What's wrong?"

"I don't know. I don't feel right."

"Sam?" Iggy repeated.

There was no reply.

* * *

Tania nestled next to Sam. She had surprised them all when the biggest eraser they'd ever seen roughly dumped her in beside them. Having been rather roughly handled she was glad to be with him again. Even if he was unnervingly still.

Max awoke with Fang once again feeling no better for her sleep. Their supposed saviour was laying a metre or two away on a damp mattress barely breathing. The little girl she'd loved all her life was now the enemy. A whine from across the room caught her attention and Max scrambled to her feet in response. She hurried over to Sam and knelt down by his side. Tania glanced at her briefly before turning her worried gaze back on her brother. His breathing was as weak as ever and he started muttering incoherently. One strong word could be made out in between the bouts of nonsense.

"Iggy"

"Sam" Max said softly into his ear. "What's wrong? Where's Iggy?" Max had to resist the urge to jump back as Sam's eyes opened abruptly. He stared at Max, his gaze penetrating her own before gulping down a deep breath and closing them again. Max stared in awe as slowly he sat up, Sam leant himself against the cold wall with his eyes still shut. He raised his head and looked at Max who felt joy swell up in her heart at the site of his smile. Sam turned his head slowly to the door; Max followed his gaze and saw nothing special.

Then there was a knock.


	17. Escape?

**Chapter 17**

**Haven't updated for a while and may not update for another while, but i've been bitten by the bug again so this may be the beginning of the end for my writing of this story. I intend for it to go out with a bang. Stay tuned! Please review, i need some feedback before i write more as i've gotten quite rusty it's been so long. Anywho, enjoy!**

* * *

Nudge and The Gasman looked tiny behind the towering might of the eraser who stood at their door. Max leapt up, ready to fight, to scream, do anything if it would stop that thing hurting her family. She could only just stop herself when she heard a soft voice behind her.

"No" It was Fang, she turned to see he had stood up and nodded his head towards Sam. He was smiling at the eraser, actually smiling.

"Are ya sure?" Max looked quizzically at Sam, who, apparently using most of his energy, nodded.

"…I'm Jake" Said the eraser, his giant appearance melted away when Max heard the genuine fear and apprehension in his voice.

"I can help you, get you out. But only if she… it doesn't come back" Jake looked quickly around, twitching. Max thought this had to be the saddest thing she'd ever seen.

"What do you mean?" She asked. "Angel?"

The eraser sniggered. "That's her name? Surely fallen Angel would be better? No? After all isn't that what the devil is? Evil. She… the things she does, the power."

He was beginning to ramble.

"Jake? We get it, okay. What's your plan?" Max heard him whisper to himself even as she spoke, ranting about that "Devil" which apparently was now a new name for a member of her family.

"We have to stop him. Jeb must be stopped, he's making a new Institute and he will have the little one control his creatures. She made me kill for him, even erasers aren't that ruthless. It feels like your brain's going to explode every time and drives you mad. Angel has the power, she could turn every creation into something lethal. I think she'd beginning to turn against Jeb." Jake looked at Sam, who was trying to stand up.

"I know you. The woods?" he asked

"Yeh" whispered Sam. "A little help here"

The eraser entered the cell and picked Sam up gently by one arm.

"You okay man?" This concern in an eraser stunned Max, Fang, Gazzy and Nudge into absolute silence. Yes, even Nudge.

"Why are you not stupid?" asked Max. Jake looked at her, a little offended.

"Sorry" Max stuttered, embarrassed. "It's just that every other eraser we've met has wanted to eat us or generally hurt us. One-track mind, ya know?"

"I'm a fairly new eraser, he's making us more and more intelligent. He just doesn't count on us being able to think for ourselves I guess."replied Jake.

"So… you care about who you kill?" Asked Max.

Jake replied, a little stunned. "I don't kill unless SHE makes me, or I have to eat. But hey, then there's always take-out" He grinned, showing his white fangs. A cough interrupted them.

"Call me irrational but shouldn't we get out of here, before we all get killed?" This was the familiar sarcasm they had come to associate with Fang. But he was right.

"Let's go" said Sam, growing stronger.

Jake picked him up and led them out of the room. Tania staying close to Sam, mewing quietly. The group together looked, for want of a better word odd. First there was the towering wolf-man, with paws like dustbin lids and ferocious teeth. Then there were the human beings who of course, had wings. Then there was Sam, something the same yet entirely different to them, his wings were different and it seemed unnatural that he didn't look gloriously strong. Sam's wings began to brighten. They passed through a door into what seemed to be an abandoned room. Sam dreaded to think what might be lying in the few cages that were scattered around the huge, eerily bare room. He supposed they were experiments who'd outrun their usefulness and had been casually abandoned. Sam wasn't given much time to think about the horrors of the room however as he felt a tap on his shoulder and a familiar voice utter two, much less welcoming words.

"They're here." Said Iggy.


End file.
